Transfer wheel between a lollipop forming and a lollipop wrapping unit

Abstract

A lollipop production and down-stream processing apparatus with a forming unit and a down-stream processing unit and a transfer wheel in between the units which rotates around a first axis and which includes a multitude of grippers which releasably hold the stick of the lollipop and which rotate relative to the transfer wheel around a second axis of rotation parallel to the first axis of rotation.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A lollipop production and wrapping apparatus comprising:
 a forming unit comprising a forming chamber in which a head of a lollipop is formed and where a stick is inserted into the head, 
 a down-stream processing unit, and 
 a transfer wheel positioned in between the forming unit and the down-stream processing unit, the transfer wheel is configured to rotate around a first axis of rotation, the transfer wheel comprises a multitude of grippers, one of which is configured to releasably hold the stick of the lollipop while the lollipop is transferred from the forming unit to the down-stream processing unit, each one of the multitude of grippers is configured to rotate relative to the transfer wheel around a respective second axis of rotation that is parallel to the first axis of rotation, 
 wherein each one of the multitude of grippers is attached to a means that moves eccentrically around the second axis of rotation, the eccentric motion of each of the multitude of grippers is configured to adjust a radial extension of each of the multitude of grippers relative to the first axis of rotation by moving each of the multitude of grippers in a radial direction towards the first axis of rotation and away from the first axis of rotation, which adjusts a length by which each of the multitude of grippers move into a holding means of the forming unit and/or move into a holding means of the down-stream processing unit and/or adjusts a distance between two of the multitude of grippers to a gapping of the holding means at the forming unit and/or of the holding means at the down-stream processing unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein while each of the multitude of grippers move in the radial direction, each of the multitude of grippers are also rotated 180 degrees around a third axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation before the lollipop is transferred from the forming unit to the down-stream processing unit. 
     
     
       3. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the multitude of grippers are supported at the transfer wheel by a respective support with a respective cam that interacts with a stationary control curve having a first section and a second section. 
     
     
       4. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 3 , the first section controls movement of each of the multitude of grippers adapted to a gauge and/or the gapping of the forming unit, and the second section controls movement of each of the multitude of grippers adapted to a gauge and/or the gapping of the down-stream processing unit. 
     
     
       5. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transfer wheel has a drive that is independent from a drive of the forming unit and/or a drive of the down-stream processing unit. 
     
     
       6. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a drive unit of each one of the multitude of grippers comprises at least one linear drive. 
     
     
       7. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the rotation of the transfer wheel about the first axis is based on a signal from the forming unit and/or the down-stream processing unit. 
     
     
       8. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein motion of the multitude of grippers around the second axis of rotation adjusts the length by which each of the multitude of grippers move into the holding means of the forming unit. 
     
     
       9. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein motion of the multitude of grippers around the second axis of rotation adjusts the length by which each of the multitude of grippers move into the holding means of the down-stream processing unit. 
     
     
       10. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the forming unit and the transfer wheel rotate in opposite directions. 
     
     
       11. A lollipop production and wrapping apparatus comprising:
 a forming unit comprising a forming chamber in which a head of a lollipop is formed and where a stick is inserted into the head of the lollipop, 
 a down-stream processing unit that is a cooling unit, a coating unit, a drying unit, and/or a wrapping unit, and 
 a transfer wheel positioned in between the forming unit and the down-stream processing unit, the transfer wheel is configured to rotate around a first axis of rotation, the transfer wheel comprises a multitude of grippers, one of which is configured to releasably hold the stick of the lollipop while the lollipop is transferred from the forming unit to the down-stream processing unit, 
 wherein each one of the multitude of grippers is configured to around a respective second axis of rotation that is parallel to the first axis of rotation, 
 wherein each one of the multitude of grippers is attached to a means that moves eccentrically around the first axis of rotation, the eccentric motion of each of the multitude of grippers adjusts a radial extension of each of the multitude of grippers relative to the first axis of rotation by moving each of the multitude of grippers in a radial direction towards the first axis of rotation and away from the first axis of rotation, and 
 wherein while each of the multitude of grippers move in the radial direction, each of the multitude of grippers are also configured to rotate around a third axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation before the lollipop is transferred from the forming unit to the down-stream processing unit. 
 
     
     
       12. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the transfer wheel has a drive that is independent from a drive of the forming unit and/or a drive of the down-stream processing unit. 
     
     
       13. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the rotation of the transfer wheel about the first axis is based on a signal from the forming unit and/or the down-stream processing unit. 
     
     
       14. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the forming unit and, the transfer wheel rotate in opposite directions. 
     
     
       15. The lollipop production and wrapping apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the multitude of grippers move in the radial direction towards the first axis of rotation and away from the first axis of rotation to adjust a length by which each of the multitude of grippers move into a holding means of the forming unit and/or move into a holding means of the down-stream processing unit and/or adjusts a distance between two of the multitude of grippers to a gapping of the holding means at the forming unit and/or of the holding means at the down-stream processing unit.